Sharer: Lin Jihui

Topic: With love in the heart is the greatest wealth; mutual help among people is the biggest blessing

The Daily Journal of Dharma Master Cheng Yen, Autumn Volume, 7/16～7/24, 2021

Translator: De Jane Chou (周德禎)

Reviewer: Li Shumin(李淑敏)

Proofreader: Georgia Frazer 

Editor: Su Jihou(蘇紀豪)

Tzu Chi started its charity in Hualien. Master Cheng Yen saw many cases of poverty due to illness. In order to prevent patients from becoming seriously ill due to delay, Tzu Chi launched a free clinic on Renai Street, Hualien City in 1972, providing free medical treatments and home-visits for consultation. These services lasted for 15 years and benefited 140,000 people.

Back then, when there was no money and no land, the Venerable Master gritted her teeth with tears in her eyes, and tried hard to establish a hospital. Finally, the Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital had the ground breaking in 1984 and completed in 1986. It is the first hospital in Taiwan that does not require medical deposits. The Venerable Master upholds the belief that people are selfless and everyone has love in their heart. She said kindly: "The cement used in the hospital is not stirred with water, instead, it is the accumulation of many people's hard work and love.”

For more than 50 years, Tzu Chi has had four missions: globalization of charity, universalization of medicine, complete education, and in-depth humanities. The four missions, together with international disaster relief, bone marrow donation, environmental protection, and community volunteering, are the eight footprints of Tzu Chi. Step by step, steadily, every step is for the sake of Buddhism and all beings. The Venerable Master teaches us that we should not only believe in and understand the Dharma in our hearts, but also promote and expand the Dharma to the world. This is the true virtue of practicing sutras.

Back in our community, I will share how we implemented bone marrow donation in the community.

In Essence of the Bodhi Mind (29:33～31:19) 11/19/2016 https://reurl.cc/2D9x4n , Master Cheng Yan graciously said at the 2013 Advanced Volunteer Training Camp:

“ ‘head, eyes, bone marrow and brains are all given to others.’ People who are non-lineal relatives can also be closely connected with another's life. This is Buddha Dharma which is also the principle of the world. In today's world, medical science and technology are well-developed, which can prove that the Buddha's wisdom was achievable through human beings. If no one persuades people to donate bone marrow, it will be in vain, even though there is high technology. So, we need bodhisattvas. Bone marrow donation requires a lot of people to do it. In the beginning, when Tzu Chi volunteers encouraged donations, they were very wise, they reduced their ego, put down their pride, and begged for help. Fortunately, because of the dedication of Tzu Chi volunteers, true Bodhisattvas, we built up the bone marrow databank.”

Two years ago, we were planning to hold a blood test for hematopoietic stem cells on 3/15/2020. Our community is called “Dashe”, (literally means big community), yet it is a small place. But since saving life is a good thing, everyone in the community has a consensus that we should treat it as a great event! With our good relationships, everyone started to take actions. The community hung up 94 red banners and over 80 large posters all over. The whole street was full of joy. But we had never thought that the covid-19 epidemic would strike us, so that period of time, we had to reluctantly pause and wait for the epidemic to ease. Later, we rearranged the date to start the red banners and the big posters, and we restarted it on November 29. We learned from Master Cheng Yen's spirit of perseverance, courage, taking challenges, doing the right things and just do it.

It has been almost 29 years since bone marrow donation started. When we went to people for promotion, we still encountered people who mistakenly think that bone marrow donation is donated by extracting spinal fluid. The epidemic can't stop our enthusiasm for promoting donations. Tzu Chi’s volunteers wore masks and walked into the community bravely. We knew that although it is important to inspire great love to participate in the marrow donor registry, it is more important that the public to have the correct concept and knowledge about bone marrow donation. Through our continuous efforts every year, we are delighted that more and more people can accept bone marrow donation, and with the right understanding and right view they led to a good atmosphere in society to save life.

A person who promotes marrow donation on the street is like a Dharma practitioner. As long as we broaden and calm our minds, facing all kinds of people with sincerity and smiles, no matter how rough the road is, it can eventually become a flat Bodhisattva path. I am grateful to all the volunteers in our community. For the sake of saving lives, they all mobilized without fearing the epidemic. They encourage family members, community volunteers, and DaAi mothers to join the drives and promote everywhere. We know that every invitation we have raised is an opportunity to ignite a rebirth.

When is the best time to promote marrow donation? The answer is to seize every moment, anytime, anywhere actively. When we preached to a taxi driver, he agreed with us very much, but because he was over the age for donation, he took the leaflet and pasted it on his taxi to help us promote it for free. On the street promotion, I met a young delivery man. He said that he could not donate because he had thalassemia, but he took actions to support us, which was very touching! This allows us to realize that the most beautiful scenery in Taiwan is the people.

People aged from 18 to 46 can participate in bone marrow registry, so we need young people. What else can our Tzu Ching (Tzu Chi Collegiate Volunteers) do other than create a registry? Here is a news report from Da Ai TV Channel 2, on the afternoon of 11/29/2020:

Tzu Ching, Li Yanpei: "My brother is a bone marrow recipient. Maybe a person can be saved because of the registry, and there is a 1 in 100,000 chance. In fact, that chance is really precious.”

Huang Mengxuan, a family member of the marrow donor: "My father is a marrow donor. Only with the affinity can he helped the marrow recipient to live a better life in the future.”

Huang Yexiang, a family member of the marrow donor: "It is a great joy to be able to save people.”

Jiang Wenhong, a family member of the marrow donor: "My mother donated bone marrow to my second aunt. The process of bone marrow transplantation is very clear to everyone in our family. In fact, it is nothing, just like donating blood. I am very willing to help my aunt, including after the donation. It's going to be a long journey afterwards, and what she has to face is the process of everything goes smoothly?”

Tzu Ching, Yao Youan: "Actually, I am very afraid of syringes. When I see needles, I cry. But I still think I can overcome this small pain for helping more people, or those who need donations. I will take it and cry, and then it will be fine!”

Tzu Ching, Chen Honglin: "Young people have the power to influence young people. Tzu Chi has more young volunteers now. Let us continue to pass on the love of Tzu Chi to the next generation.”

At this event, we are, for the first time, allowing young people to set up booths, encourage donations, promote vegetarianism, love the earth and do environmental protection. Tzu Ching is creative and awesome!

Whenever there is a marrow match, the volunteers take actions immediately to fulfill the mission regardless of how many difficulties ahead. This is the spirit of Tzu Chi to save life!

The 20150918-bone marrow donation image advertisement showed that Tzu Chi volunteers are always there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPVMLqIGeko&ab_channel=Aimage

Tzu Chi is looking for someone, and that person may be you. You have the opportunity to save people today. Would you like to do it?

(Marrow recipient) Zhang Hongmei: I have leukemia, and my life will definitely not be long.

Marrow recipient Hanhan's mother: "I am worried that he will not be able to match, and I am also worried that others are unwilling to donate bone marrow.”

(Bone Marrow Donation Care Team) Lin Xuezhu: "Being part of Marrow Donation Care Team, we must have great aspiration to promote marrow donation as we rarely get applause.

(Marrow recipient) A-Mu: "my gratitude to the marrow donor is beyond description.”

(Recipient of marrow) Dong Yeqing: "The marrow donor gave me a second life.”

(Recipient of marrow) Yang Shengxuan: "The marrow donor not only saved me, but also our whole family.”

(Marrow donor) Chen Wenfeng: "Being able to save people makes life more meaningful.”

In order to make life without regrets, love will continue. Tzu Chi is always there!

  I highly recommend the good book published by Tzu Chi Bone Marrow Stem Cell Center: 《Love of Marrow Donation Is Always There》 records many touching stories of the love of marrow donation. My cells are in your blood and you are in my life. Volunteers grabbed the list of rebirths from the god of death again and again, fulfilling the miracle of life one after another! Finally, I would like to share this JinSi Aphorism, and let us encourage each other: human life should always be like spring, emitting vitality constantly, and exerting its functions constantly. This is a living life.